This invention relates to a process and a device for aseptically filling with a fluid a pack provided with a spout incorporating an outer tearable membrane.
European Patent Application No. 72 699 already describes a device for aseptically filling a pack with a fluid comprising a filling head with a valve for regulating the flow rate of the fluid into a pack provided with a spout incorporating an outer tearable membrane. This device has a number of disadvantages. Firstly, during the filling process, it is the pressure of the fluid which tears the outer membrane, leading to totally unpredictable tears which can extend into the sealing zone for the closure of the pack and can thus lead to breaks in the fluid-tightness of the pack. The device according to the patent application in question comprises a system with two independent movements on the vertical shaft for the delivery of the fluid on the one hand and to create a vacuum in the head space on the other hand. Finally, this device necessitates the presence on the vertical shaft of seals of which the useful life is limited and which can cause bacterial infection when they are worn.